Abstract:
Fish species of the suborder Notothenioidei are morphologically distinct in that they lack a swim bladder. To compensate, high levels of tissue lipids aid in maintaining buoyancy. The lipids also increase the diffusing capacity of oxygen and provide an energy store to support aerobic metabolism. The oxidation of fatty acids - derived from lipid stores - is the preferred metabolic fuel in this ... group of fish. Previously it was found that in the Antarctic toothfish, fatty acid transport is carried out using high density lipoprotein in blood, as opposed to a long chain fatty acid transporter, albumin. Research was conducted over three seasons with the aim to increase biochemical and genetic knowledge of Antarctic notothenioid fish, to determine whether the loss of albumin expression and the utilisation of alternative proteins, such as high density lipoprotein, for lipid transport is an adaptation of Antarctic fish to their extreme environment and therefore common across the Antarctic notothenioid fish. All investigations hoped to contribute to the question "What are the main factors that have driven the evolution of individual species in the Southern Ocean?" A number of individuals from 9 notothenioid and 1 non-notothenioid species were captured in the McMurdo Sound and Terra Nova Bay area including Pagothenia borchgrevinki, Trematomus pennellii, T. bernacchii, T. nicolai, T. hansoni, T.newnesi, T. eulepidotus, Gymnodraco acuticeps, Chionodraco hamatus and Lyodichthys dearborni. Blood and tissue (heart, liver, spleen, red muscle, white muscle, kidney, intestine, brain, eye, gill and adipose) samples were harvested and frozen for analysis. Not all tissue types were taken from all fish species. Blood protein analyses were performed using electrophoresis and [14C] palmitic acid binding. In addition, fish length, weights, gonadosomatic indices and parasite load were measured and sex was recorded and in some cases gonads were taken for histological analysis.

Quality
The specimens are all in existence and effectively none have been destroyed. Fixed tissues are kept at room temperature and frozen tissues are all stored at -80 degrees at Lincoln University, New Zealand. In some cases, the tissues have been used to extract RNA or DNA or proteins samples and these purified samples are also stored at -20 or -80 degree containment freezers.

The raw experimental data is kept in laboratory books at Lincoln University and on computer files, which are backed up 2 times on portable hard drives.

Access Constraints
If the samples need to be transeferred from their current location, the receiving lab needs to have the necessary containment certification (i.e. PC2 containment) and transfers have to be done according to MAF protocol. Otherwise the work will need to be completed at Lincoln University. All access is restricted to approval from Dr Victoria Metcalf.